Hip Pain
Hip pain can change everything. Climbing stairs, going for a walk, getting in and out of the car — movements that used to be automatic become daily obstacles. Many patients in Munich tell us they spent months living with hip pain before discovering that chiropractic care could help. There's no long waiting list and no referral required. A thorough assessment identifies what's behind the pain — and whether and how we can help. If you've been waiting for the right moment to do something about it, this is it.
How Do I Know If I Have Hip Pain, or Something Else?
Hip pain presents very differently from person to person — which is exactly what makes it so difficult to label. The questions we hear most often: Where does it hurt when you have hip pain? How do I know if it's my hip? What are the symptoms?
Typical complaints:
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Pain in the outer hip, deep in the groin, or in the buttock
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Hip pain when lying down — especially on the affected side at night
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Pain radiating into the leg, thigh, or as far down as the knee
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Hip pain when walking, climbing stairs, or after prolonged sitting
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Morning stiffness that eases after a few minutes of moving around
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Hip pain after running or other physical activity
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A one-sided pulling sensation — left or right — that feels like persistent muscle soreness
Where does hip pain radiate to?
Many people are surprised to learn that hip pain doesn't always sit directly over the joint. It can appear in the groin, along the outer edge of the pelvis, deep in the buttock, or down the thigh. Pain that travels into the leg is frequently labelled sciatica — but the sacroiliac joint or the piriformis muscle is often the actual cause, which requires a quite different approach.
Warning signs — see a doctor immediately if:
You have severe pain following a fall or accident, you cannot bear weight on the leg, numbness or weakness develops in the leg, or you have accompanying fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss. These symptoms require urgent medical assessment.
What To Do About Hip Pain — Right Now
What can genuinely help:
Gentle movement, not bed rest. Complete immobilisation is counterproductive for most hip conditions. Short walks, light cycling, or swimming keep the tissue oxygenated and joints mobile. Full rest beyond one to two days worsens most hip problems.
Heat or ice? For acute, inflamed pain with swelling and warmth, cold packs help reduce the inflammatory response. For chronic, muscular complaints, heat — a warm pad or bath — is more comfortable and improves circulation.
Sleeping position. Hip pain when lying down can often be reduced by placing a pillow between the knees (side-lying) or under the knees (back-lying). Which helps most depends on the underlying cause.
Anti-inflammatory medication. Ibuprofen and diclofenac can reduce inflammation and ease pain short-term. They don't treat the cause — only the symptom. For purely mechanical joint restrictions or muscle imbalances, their effect is limited, and they are not intended for prolonged use. If you have been taking painkillers for more than 2-3 days, you should call for an appointment.
Hip exercises that are often recommended:
Hip flexor stretch in a lunge, clamshell exercise (side-lying, opening the knee against resistance), glute bridges, lateral leg raises, and gentle standing hip circles are widely used starting points. Important: exercises should not increase your pain. If pain with exercise is more than a 5/10 on the pain scale, you've gone too far. If the cause is unclear, get assessed before starting a programme.
What not to do:
Don't ignore one-sided pain that radiates into the leg — it's a signal of a structural problem worth investigating. Don't force deep stretches if they provoke pain. And don't wait months before seeking help; what starts as a functional problem can become a structural one. Prolonged use of a massage device or a deep heating more than 40 minutes can actually increase inflammation and make the pain worse.
What Causes Hip Pain?
Hip pain always has a reason. The most common causes — and what can trigger them:
The hip doesn't stand alone
The hip joint is in direct functional connection with the lumbar spine, the sacroiliac joint, the knee, and foot mechanics. Hip pain can therefore originate in a variety of places. A pelvic tilt that has developed gradually over years can cause hip complaints just as readily as a leg-length discrepancy, a sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or shortened hip flexors and piriformis muscle.
The most common individual causes:
Muscles and tendons. The most frequent culprits are overloaded or chronically tight muscles around the hip — particularly the iliopsoas, the gluteal muscles, and the short external rotators. Long hours sitting, asymmetrical loading in sport, and poor posture drive these patterns.
Sacroiliac joint (SIJ). The SIJ connects the sacrum and the pelvis. When blocked or irritated, it produces one-sided pain that often radiates into the buttock or thigh — a picture frequently mistaken for hip arthritis or sciatica.
Greater trochanteric bursitis. Irritation of the bursa on the outer edge of the thigh bone causes sharp, localised pain directly on the side of the hip — often worse when lying on that side or when climbing stairs.
Hip osteoarthritis. In joint degeneration, pain typically sits in the groin, is worst in the morning and after activity, and is accompanied by a gradual reduction in range of motion. Chiropractic care in the early stages can reduce mechanical load and significantly ease symptoms.
Other causes. Hip pain after running is frequently linked to iliotibial band syndrome or hip flexor overload. Hip pain in pregnancy is driven by hormonal ligament relaxation and altered pelvic mechanics. Hip pain associated with rheumatic conditions — such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis — requires medical diagnosis and management; chiropractic can play a supportive role alongside rheumatological care.
When to See a Chiropractor for Hip Pain
No referral needed. As a chiropractor in Munich, we are directly accessible — no referral from your GP or orthopaedic specialist is required, and same-day appointments are often available.
Come and see us if:
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Your hip pain has lasted more than one to two weeks, or keeps recurring
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The pain radiates into your leg, thigh, or knee
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You wake up stiff and need time to "warm up" before you can move normally
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Hip pain when lying down is disrupting your sleep
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You have recurring hip trouble after sport
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Previous treatment hasn't delivered lasting relief
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You want to know what is actually causing your pain — not just how to dampen it short-term
How do I get rid of hip pain — for good?
Lasting relief requires treating the cause. Painkillers and rest are bridges — not cures. Chiropractic care aims to restore mechanical function so the body remains stable without constant intervention.
When to see a medical doctor:
For the warning signs listed above — trauma, neurological symptoms, fever — your GP or emergency department is the right first stop. When imaging is needed, or when an inflammatory or rheumatic condition is suspected, we refer you appropriately.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Pain
Where does it hurt when you have hip pain?
Hip pain can appear in a range of locations: in the groin, on the outer thigh, deep in the buttock, or along the inner thigh. Pain that radiates into the knee or lower leg can also originate in the hip. This is why a precise examination matters — the location of the pain alone is not sufficient for diagnosis.
How do I know whether it's my hip and not something else? Typical signs of a hip problem include: one-sided pain with activity, pain deep in the groin or on the side of the pelvis, difficulty raising the leg or crossing it over the other, and morning stiffness. When pain radiates into the leg, the SIJ, piriformis muscle, or lumbar spine may also be involved — a functional assessment can distinguish between these clearly.
What helps quickly with hip pain? Short-term: heat (for muscular complaints) or cold (for inflammation), an adjusted sleeping position, and anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or diclofenac can reduce symptoms. Gentle movement is usually better than rest. For lasting improvement, the underlying cause needs to be treated.
Is diclofenac suitable for hip pain? Diclofenac can be useful short-term when there is an inflammatory component — it helps interrupt the pain cycle. For purely mechanical restrictions or muscular imbalances, its effect is limited. It should not be used long-term and does not replace treatment of the cause.
Which 5 exercises should you do every day for hip pain? Frequently recommended:
(1) hip flexor stretch in a lunge
(2) clamshell (side-lying, knee opening against resistance)
(3) glute bridge
(4) lateral leg raise
(5) gentle standing hip circles
Which of these is appropriate for you depends on your specific cause — a generic programme can make some conditions worse.
What should you avoid with hip pain? Don't rest completely for more than two days — this worsens most hip problems. Don't force deep stretches if they provoke pain. Don't wait months if pain is radiating into your leg. And don't self-diagnose sciatica without an assessment — the cause is often something different and more treatable.
Can rheumatism cause hip pain? Yes. Inflammatory rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis can affect the hip joints and cause chronic pain. Medical diagnosis and management form the foundation in these cases — chiropractic care can play a supportive role in maintaining mobility, but does not replace rheumatological treatment.
Discover which therapist fits you best:
Also relevant: [Sciatica →] | [Disc Herniation →] | [Hip Pain Blog →]